Species: Hypoplectrus nigricans, Black Hamlet

Hypoplectrus nigricans (Poey, 1852)

Black Hamlet

Head and body deep, strongly compressed; forehead straight; snout relatively short; top jaw protrusible; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; teeth fixed; preoperculum angular, serrated, several small forward pointing spines on lower edge near the corner; gill rakers 17-23; dorsal fin X, 14-17, no notch after spines, membranes between spines not indented; pelvics long, reach to or beyond anus; tail fin slightly forked; lateral line scales 48-53; soft dorsal and anal fins mostly scaleless.

Head and body black, grey or dark brown; all fins except the pectorals are colored as the body; pectorals are black in black bodied fish, clear in those with grey bodies; there may be a bluish cast on various parts of the body and fins.

Reaches 15.3 cm.

Lives on reefs.

Depth range: 1-67 m.

The Bahamas through the Caribbean.